mstateglfr 

How did the saddle become lopsided

DropBarFan

Congrats on doing the century! Saddles comfort can be unpredictable for those first long rides. Heh, at a 240 km/150 mi pro bike race a spectator exclaimed, "Wow, I can't even sit down that long!" I tried a Brooks B17 that had a slight thigh rub on one side, otherwise felt great; couldn't tell whether it was legs or saddle that was asymmetrical. Posters have so many different favorite saddles, picking one is largely a guess.

BTW just noticed your sig about barefoot running, pretty cool. I walk/jog barefoot, dunno why so few try it.

Rowan

I would say the saddle is not the primary issue with your soreness. Do you ride in a fairly upright position?

I have just explained a similar issue in this thread in the Long Distance forum that you may find useful in determining that it might FIT rather than the saddle that is causing your sore sitbone problem.

Other than that, well done on your tour.

T Stew

I would assume it is a factory defect? I probably had only 50-75 miles on it at that point I noticed, and that is pretty much all smooth rail trail (no potholes or anything).

Ever seen thebarefootrunners.org ? I post there a lot. Just won a small 10k race barefoot actually, folks were really surprised!

Thanks! I'll take a look at the info you linked. But I am pretty sure the saddle is causing issues. I posted it in another thread but just for reference here it is...





My soreness was mostly on the right sit bone, which is the higher side in the pics so I guess that makes sense. I can't beleive I did not notice it prior but just walking around the bike it really isn't noticable. It's only when you are directly behind it looking at it square and around the level of the seat.

Cougrrcj

Congrats on completing a Century! They do get easier once your conditioning improves. -- AND when your saddle and 'seat' come to a mutual understanding. My ancient Fuji has a Brooks-clone (Fujita Belt) saddle. Every year it takes a couple hundred miles for the two of us to get used to each other again. But once we do, I hardly notice it there.

I've been a member of RTC (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Creating a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and building healthier places for healthier people. | Rails-to-Trails Conservancy) ) since it's inception 30 years ago, but I have yet to ride on one! One of these days... < sigh >

DropBarFan

The Brooks lopsidedness is really obvious in the pic, I'd hope Brooks or the retailer would do an exchange. One plus for plastic saddles--I've never had one with asymmetry issues.

Nuthin' like winning races to boost the barefoot movement, kinda surprising that folks were surprised, heh. President Carter wrote that as a kid in Georgia all the kids (not just poor families) ran around barefoot for half the year.

Rowan

Yes... there does appear to be a defect there. The retailer who sold it to you should take it back and replace it. Also, email Brooks in England with the pictures, and ensure they understand that it's an issue with the metal frame, not the leather.

cyccommute 

Part of your problem is lack of information. There are dozens of campgrounds along the Heart of Ohio trail. You just don't know how to find them. Go to Allstay to find campgrounds. They list commercial, state and federal campgrounds all over the nation. Sure some of them might be a little off the route but you are willing to ride 100 miles between campgrounds so a slight detour shouldn't be that big of a hassle. You can also get an app for a smart phone (if you carry one) called Allstays Camp and Tent which is a powerful little tool. You can even use the on-line mapping feature on your phone to route to any of the campgrounds. I've used this app for a couple of tours now and it works very well.

T Stew

Thanks for that link! I just used google maps to look for stuff nearby. Actually google found the two campsites that I am considering, and that link of yours did not. In fact I can only identify 3 campsites using Allstays near the trail, 1 is a nude campground (!?!) another doesn't appear to cater to tents and says no availability anyhow, and the third is right next to the one I had already planned on. The Heart of Ohio Trail is close enough to home I'm not worried about camping near there, I'd just go home. And I don't want to deviate from the trail >20 miles, just to go to a campsite. I guess the only thing that might help is giving in and staying at a hotel if needed. I suppose always an option, though I worry about how secure the bike will be at such places. If I could make it to the end of the trail, the Cleveland Hostel is close by and actually has indoor bike storage. But I'm going to have to reduce the planned trip anyhow I think. It's back on the table at least (rain forecasted for the mountains I was going to hike, and I'm actually liking the stock seat so far), but I wouldn't be able to leave until Tuesday or Wednesday. Doubt I can get to Cleveland and back in that amount of time. I guess it will give me more of an incentive to do it again if I can't make it to the end of the trail this time. But I've further run into an issue with my dog Pepper, I have never put a dog in a kennel but I might have to for this trip. But she would need shots and papers and all that, which I'm not sure if I could do on short notice now. Will find out Monday when I call the vet. I might just leave her tied up at home during the day and do a couple long day trips from home.

i_am_you

Lol. Sorry, had to laugh at that.

Rowan

Why? It's well known in randonneuring circles that Coke is an elixir from the gods at certain times through an event, especially towards the end of a 200 or 300 or 400.

I've found Pepsi doesn't have the same effect, though.

cyccommute 

The phone app might have more campgrounds. I used it extensively last year when I rode around Lake Erie and never had a problem finding a campground. I even stayed at a couple of campgrounds that didn't know about the app at all and weren't sure how they were listed.

Turkey222

I started my last tour with maybe 30 in the saddle for all of winter. did 92 painful miles the first day and 100 soar miles the second. After that, I was doing 100+ pain-free everyday.

If you get desperate for camping, find a church. Churches have become my primary camping spots and even came across a cyclist from Estonia at one. Just try to remember the day of the week, and be out of there prior to Sunday service or Mass (unless you want to attend).

I stopped drinking soda routinely 5 years ago; my first tour brought the addiction back. I quit drinking it routinely again 3 months ago and my recent tour brought it back as well.

Northwestrider

I wouldn't focus much on a certain distance , You'll find places to camp, especially if your willing to ask others for suggestions as to where . Don't push to hard , enjoy .